Sorry About Your Birthday, Jesus

[NanceGreggs]

One can only imagine how disappointed Jesus was with his birthday this year – but He’s probably used to it by now.

Despite his wish list being quite small, and consisting of things that require little effort and even less expenditure, He awoke on Christmas morning, his birthday, to find only token presents – wrapped gaily in insincere good wishes and empty rhetoric – instead of those items that would have warmed His heart.

The saddest part of it all is that there is no excuse for not giving Him what he really wanted. He’s been asking for the same things for over two thousand years. And ironically, it is those who claim to know him best who continue to ignore what He most desires, year after year.

Unlike most Christmas gift recipients, Jesus would have been happy with socks and underwear – given to those who need such basics, like the homeless and the truly poor.

He would have smiled with pleasure at the sight of a stuffed animal, a small toy, a doll – placed in the hands of a child whose parents can’t afford to buy such luxuries for their little ones.

He would have gladly done without hearing the words Merry Christmas if he could have listened instead to the words, “Tell me how can I help you, and I will do what I can,” spoken around the world in every language.

He wanted us to remember that as we do to the least among us, so we do unto Him. What He got was people gorging themselves on expensive meals while food banks ran out of donations and had to turn the hungry away.

He wanted us to be our brother’s keeper. What He got was our brothers being kept in places like Gitmo, continuing to be tortured and abused even on the holiest of days.

He wanted us to keep His name in Christmas. What he got was shopping centers full of people spending their money only in stores that displayed cheap, light-bedecked nativity scenes, smugly insisting that was sufficient to honor His name.

He wanted us to mark His day by giving to those in need. What he got was the homeless sitting on cold street corners, holding out their empty hats, unnoticed, as shoppers scurried from one store to another purchasing gifts meant to impress rather than demonstrate the true spirit of giving.

He wanted us to celebrate His birth by sharing whatever largesse we may have with others. What he got was yet another round of pink slips for workers, while CEOs gleefully banked their multi-million-dollar year-end bonuses.

He wanted those who have sinned against Him with their hypocrisy, their arrogance, their greed, their war-mongering, their intolerance, their bigotry, their hatred, and their corruption of His Word to vow to change their ways, and go and sin no more.

What He got was a reinterpretation of His Word to include these things as having been part of His teachings all along – teachings that have simply been adjusted to allow for the sanctioning of torture, the waging of war, the slaughter of innocents, and the glorification of the Almighty Dollar above all else.

For those who still remember them, the words delivered to the world on the day of His birth were, and still are, something to strive for: Peace on Earth, and Goodwill Towards Men.

Unfortunately for Jesus, and for the rest of us, many of His so-called followers just don’t approve of this message.

[Liberal Jesus Freak]

1. Thank you, Nance.

My husband and I just spent our first Christmas as managers of a homeless shelter. I've just printed this out to post, and I'm wondering if you would mind if I quoted this piece sometime, in presentations or in our newsletter? With credit to you, of course. As usual, you've touched my heart and conscience. Thank you.

[NanceGreggs]

6. Thanks to you and your husband for doing what you have done.

Please feel free to use this as you see fit.

In this instance, no "credit" to me is necessary. Just say it was written by a non-Christian who understands what Jesus was all about - seemingly better than so many of those who claim to follow in his footsteps.

Bless you for your fine work - and for giving Jesus something he truly wanted.

[rdm]

41. You have a brother in Gitmo?

Dude, your statement "What He got was our brothers being kept in places like Gitmo, continuing to be tortured and abused even on the holiest of days." sounds great. But I for one have to say that if those being held in Gitmo are your brothers, you come from a pretty messed up family! There are some pretty radical, evil, and hatred filled people in there who would love to do nothing more than destroy the freedoms we have and have ALL women wearing burkhas from head to toe and beheading their wives for "disobedience", or stoning their teenage daughters for indiscretions. Look it up! Be upset over the atrocities that occur, but be careful who you count in your "family". I have some pretty whacked family members, but none of them promote teenage suicide bombings....

[rhett o rick]

42. And what makes you think you know how bad the people in Gitmo are? Did Hannity tell you?

It makes you feel better about yourself to rationalize how bad the people in Gitmo are so when our government tortures them you don't feel any humanity. I would venture that the German citizens under Hitler use much the same rationalization. Please use other sources of information than Faux News.

[tavalon]

44. Wow, the moderators are slow tonight!

Oh well, enjoy your time at DU!

[Kurovski]

2. K&R. (nt)

[FarLeftRage]

Bookmarked

and give a rec....

[Irishonly]

3. I A,m Sorry Too

When I read about churches spending thousands of dollars on a Christmas Pageant it pains my heart. Food banks (I know because I help at one) are having problems keeping food on the shelves. When a church gives food with conditions it breaks my heart. There are a few around here that require people to listen to a small sermon to get their food. There are waiting lines to get into shelters. Children are living on the streets. Vets are living on the street. We shall be judged by how we treat the poor and down trodden.

[ChazII]

16. I guess I have been lucky

the two churches that I have attended have given out food boxes, bus passes and helped with finances...no questions asked and no sermons given.

[Irishonly]

24. The Church Where I Attend Houses the Council of Churches

No one is ever asked about faith or forced to listen to any type of sermon. The COC also operates several shelters. Most of the churches where I live are doing their best to serve everyone in the community. Our church gives out food, another serves hot lunches, another hot dinners and opens the church sanctuary for the homeless to sleep. There have never, ever been a problem. Unfortunately, there are a few churches which place conditions on services. We are finding the need is much greater than the resources now. People are hungry 365 days a year, not just the holiday season.

[bobbolink]

35. "Conditions" on food---one agency demands that recipients of food

take a course on how to handle money.

How's that for a slap in the face for elderly people on fixed incomes needing help through these hard times, who have successfully "handled money" for their whole lives!

The ego of these agencies stuns and amazes.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. My dear Nance...

How true and wise your words are...

They make me weep.

I weep for all the lost souls who wander aimlessly and can't find any meaning in their lives...

And all they'd have to do would be just one of these things you've said...

And that would redeem them!

Thank you...

K&R

[annabanana]

9. Thank you Nance. .

His list is so short, and the same, year in and year out.

[SalmonChantedEvening]

5. You. Are. A. Wonder. Nance. Greggs.

Keek

Rec

Best post of the Season.

:hug: :loveya: :)

[DeeDeeNY]

7. Beautifully said, and so very true

[whatdoyouthink]

8. Ditto here

I,m also sad about it being so commercial now, and has been along time
When you see parents - going in debt - for toy's for there kid - so they can have the 600+ came whatever...of the day!

And Churches spending millions for a MEGA Church...

But Its good to see others care - and reminds me to do more, and to count my blessings

[elocs]

10. Jesus was probably born in October.

How would the rest of us feel if our birthday was celebrated months late?

Jesus was a homeless man who had nothing but the clothes on his back and depended upon others to feed and house him. If he were walking the streets of the U.S. today most of his so-called followers would not recognize him or want to have anything to do with him. Most "Christians" would probably want him thrown in jail or would tell him to get a job or go back where he came from. I would love to see a religion based upon the words of Jesus, at least as we know them, and not all the rest of the crap.

[Demeter]

21. How Do You Get October? I've Only Heard of March

and then there's the suspicious fact that no one of the designated span of time ever made mention of a Jesus at all in any context. Considering how the Romans spread bureaucracy, it seems more likely that Jesus is a powerful but fictional figure, anyway.

[elocs]

23. I learned Oct. based upon the birth of John the Baptist 6 months before Jesus.

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_Jesus

"October

Another argument (Reference), that relies only on dates named in the Bible, places Jesus' birth on the 15th day of the seventh Jewish month during Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles. This is based on the time when Zechariah, father of John the Baptist, was ministering in the temple, and received an announcement from God of a coming son. The Bible states that Zecariah's term of ministry was in the "eighth course of Abia", a period dated according to Hebrew calendar in the Old Testament. If John was conceived soon after, and Jesus' conception was six months after John, then Jesus was born during the first day of the feast of the tabernacles."

This is what I learned although there are also other dates, but it is highly unlikely it is December 25th.

[Divine Discontent]

11. NanceGreggs

the gift that keeps on giving...


May His holy hand continue to bless your mind.


Oh, what a friend we have in Jesus. He merely asks us to be that friend to others in need.

[NanceGreggs]

12. Thank you for your kindness ...

"He merely asks us to be that friend to others in need."

It seems so little to ask ...

[Divine Discontent]

13. you nearly made me cry

seeing my sentence back and your follow up, and then thinking about it.

I care take for my sibling, and it gets so hard at times. What a blessing we can be to each other in this life, yet most don't take the time. You certainly are, and don't feel I'm trying to make your head puff up, the spiritual center of DU imho. I know you certainly just transfer that praise to its proper source, but it still needs said.

[NanceGreggs]

17. I am undeserving of the compliment ...

... but accept the kindness of the thought behind it. Thank you for seeing me through such loving eyes.

[Echo In Light]

14. "Give Us Barabus" ...not much has changed...really

[College Liberal]

15. Nancy, what a powerful message....

I am honored to use my first recommendation on you.....

Jesus is the reason for the season, this made me cry......

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

18. K & R.

:cry:

MKJ

on edit, I've composed myself enough to type a mere but heartfelt THANKS. Nance, you've gone straight to the heart, in your usual outstanding manner. :hug:

[ladym55]

19. Thanks, Nance

Reading this choked me up. I don't think Jesus would really CARE if people say Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays in December. He WOULD care that people are hungry and homeless ...

[Kurovski]

20. Kick. (nt)

[Demeter]

22. Diogenes Can Stop Looking--Every Word of Yours is Pure Truth

Here's for a Happy New Year for the whole world, which could surely use one.

[solara]

25. Thank you, Nance, thank you for the moving and inspiring reminder......

your insight is such a gift to the world and I am very grateful to be able to read what you write

:hug:


INVESTIGATE IMPEACH INDICT IMPRECATE INCARCERATE :patriot:

[indepat]

26. 'pukes' hypocrisy in making a mockery of Jesus' entire wish list knows no bounds

[Stump]

27. Wow Nance...

Are you sure you're not a Christian? :wow:

[Patsy Stone]

28. But it's Karl Rove's birthday too

so at least someone's happy with the way things turned out.

[Cyrano]

29. Oh, Nance, maybe you've been taken in by a myth.

Peace on Earth, and Goodwill Towards Men???

Of the uncounted billions (trillions?) of inhabitable planets in this universe, isn't it possible that Jesus visited the wrong one? One of the most hopeless ones? The one on which life is cheap? The one on which hate seems to constantly trump love? The one on which greed overcomes charity? The one on which Christmas time is a retailer's gift? The one incapable of surviving it's adolescence?

Sorry for the cynicism. But even as a devout agnostic, I had many years in which I believed in what Christmas was supposed to mean. But I can't believe anymore. Especially after the past eight years of pure, unadulterated evil that has been visited on this planet by Bush & Friends.

Having stated the negatives, let me admit this. I still love "It's a Wonderful Life," "Miracle on 34th Street," and "The Bishop's Wife." I still love Christmas trees. I still love snow on Christmas eve. And I will always love people like you who still believe in "Peace on Earth, and Goodwill Towards Men." If only most people on this planet were more like you.

Thank you for sharing with us your thoughts/dreams. Many of us, of many different religions or none, share them with you. You're a treasure.

[Khaotic]

30. Zombie Deity Scion's Birthday

While I believe in the message of the zombie deity scion, it is very appearent there was no such birth of an offspring of a deity given the name of Jesus Christ on Dec. 25.

It's a myth that just keeps giving, unlike the hearts of those who follow the myth and spout the greatness of religion, the source of most wars and hate throughout human existence.

Want to redefine xmas? You only need to try:

http://www.redefinechristmas.org/

Ready for more insight?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kla-BcN8u8Q

After that, hopefully you'll know that while there's nothing wrong with finding the words of "Jesus," or for that matter "Yoda," helpful in everyday life; is is important to know that Jesus isn't real ... the same as Yoda.

"Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." - Yoda

"The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." - Jesus Christ

Great words attributed to myths, but great words none-the-less.

Peace

[tavalon]

31. Myths are some of the most important stories ever told

A common mistake is to equate the term "myth" with "untruth". Nothing could be farther from the truth!

Myths are the way we reference things that are too big and impossible to reference directly but because humans are story tellers, we use stories to tell about those unexplainable things. Myths are metaphor and allegory and are never about what they seem to be about. The mistake that fundamentalists of all ilk make is trying to take something as magnificent as a myth and make it into absolute fact, which makes a myth eminently smaller. Fundamentalists like their religion and their myth really, really small. Perhaps that is so it can fit into their small minds.

Do I think the myths of Christianity have actual, on the ground "truth"? Heavens no, that would be an awfully small way to look at it. Do I think that Christianity, along with Buddhism, Judaism, and almost any other religiosism you can think of are some of the greatest myths ever? Yes they are and they even borrow from one another liberally because they are all referencing something similar, that thing I mentioned in my second paragraph, much as the blind men describing parts of an elephant.

Read or watch some Joseph Campbell with an open heart and mind and prepare to be astounded and amazed. Humans are such spiritual creatures.

[Khaotic]

32. true

We are "spiritual," which is just another way of saying we make shit up when we can't explain it.

My previous point was that while the words attributed to the mythical Jesus have value, it is important to know that Jesus is a myth.

There are a LOT of people who get irate and freak on religion because of the deity value of it, instead of the weight of the message behind the religion.

Without the deity value, many "Christians" would drop the religion and stumble around until they found something else attached to a deity to bow down to.

Sad.

Take the words for what they are worth, deity or not, and think about it. If it has value, whether the words are attibuted to zombie deity scion or Yoda, then use them to better your life.

We painfully need to get over the deity requirement the masses think they need to have.

Time to wake up, contribute, and help each other.

Peace.

[tavalon]

33. Oops, did I give you the impression that I didn't think there was "something bigger" out there?

I shopped around until I found a myth that I personally appreciated because I get that we are story tellers. That said, I've been in the presence of that which I cannot adequately speak of, on a couple of occasions. I don't have faith, I have knowledge. It's a knowledge that few get (and I'm told that a nice antipsychotic might help me get rid of such pesky knowledge) or perhaps many are offered but few notice, I don't know. But, if my post gave you the impression I was discounting diety (both within and without), my bad. Given my experience, I would find it an amazing hubris to "get over the diety".

And I don't find my understanding of those things greater than the day to day life to be the least bit encumbering nor do I feel that my knowledge of "diety" excuses me from taking full responsibility for myself and my actions. "Diety" as I understand diety, is a rather hands off force. Nice to know it's out there but it's not going to interfere in my day to day in any way. It may encourage me to find my best self but perhaps I do that all on my own. I am, after all, a god myself. This god thing is within and without and everywhere and nowhere and this is rapidly turning into a koan so I think I'll shut up.


ps An amusing sidenote. In my early twenties, I was a refugee from the Southern Baptist religion. I hated Christianity. I turned to Wicca, as many disenchanted Christians do. I found a wonderful Coven and began my degree training. It was my High Priest who made it part of my degree work to watch Joseph Campbell (one episode per week) and we spent the first half of my weekly lesson discussing the concepts within. It was within that year that I made peace with Christianity. I never went back to it because it just doesn't fit me, but I find it deliciously ironic that it was a Witch who brought me back to an appreciation of Christianity.

[Khaotic]

36. Deity Stuff

I wasn't so much talking about you, or taking into account what you personally believe or do not believe.

I was pointing toward what I believe a lot of people believe.

That's excellent that you believe in something ... a greater power, etc.

I don't think everything starts and ends with us. I don't think we know it all.

However, I have stopped trying to fill in the blanks with religious theory. It's nonsense ... period.

Now, if you want to talk quantum physics and/or string theory then that would be more my cup of tea. I'm not a scientist, but hearing about string theory and the concepts of other dimensions makes a lot more sense from that platform than talking flaming bush stories passed down thousands of years ago by word of mouth.

I believe religion holds us back from striving to fill in the blanks with science.

What if there could be life after death, but to reach it we have to figure out how to pass the being inside from chemical synaptic reactions inside our brains through a stretched string via gravatrons created by smashing electrons together?

It may all sound like nonsense. But if science figured out how to reach another plane of existance, would someone be willing to go if the possibility existed they would never die?

The theory exists that there could be life after death, but what if science could take you there without rolling the dice?

Does everyone want to bank on religious theory surrounding a deity who is supposed to have always been, is, and will always be; who created everything that ever was, is, or will ever be?

I think we need to be logical and toss away the FEAR that commands us to trumpet blind faith in place of logic.

Somehow religion connects logic to "evil" and then connects "evil" to pain, anguish, "Satan," etc., etc.

Save us all!

Shit ... think. We need to gather together and celebrate our differences. Make those differences count toward creating a better tomorrow. Religion only seperates, creates FEAR, and makes the masses hate one another.

Being human is life. Life is what we all have in common and a celebration of that isn't religion, it's logic.

Peace.

[tavalon]

37. Flaming Bush?

Gosh, I think we could use another one of those!:evilgrin:

[tavalon]

40. Or,

what if eternal life were actually a changed perception of time based on the ketamine like reaction that a dying brain goes through? Wouldn't really matter one iota, would it? I mean, to the person dying, they get to live forever in that altered state called brain death, er, heaven.

I'm thinking you and I are on very similar wavelengths, just with different labels and toolboxes. I do love me some ritual, though. Nothing better than a great Samhain ritual or a naming ritual or a really kick ass death ritual. Powerful stuff, that, at least for me it is. For me, the commonality and celebration of that is my religion.

[tavalon]

43. This is a post that could well be sent as a private email

but it helps to kick the thread and besides, it's hardly important enough for email. You live in my first husband's birth city! Coolness.

[woundedkarma]

34. I'm not sure about what Jesus wanted for Xmas

but I'm pretty sure buying any stuffed animal for a child right now would have been a really bad idea :>

After all... they all come from china. Lead, asbestos and a few other really deadly chemicals.

Maybe I should make some stuffed animals myself. Made in the USA, organic cotton.

[lightningandsnow]

38. Great post...you'd like this...

Have you seen this website? http://www.makeachildsmile.org

It's a charity where you can send cards/gifts to children with life-threatening illnesses.

I sent Kelly L. a little Christmas present this year. It was small, but I'm really glad I did it, and I'd encourage other people to do the same.

Peace on Earth!

<3 AG

[The Straight Story]

39. Another fine rant nance

:) Kick-a-roo!